Legion of Shadow (92 page)

If you win the combat, you must continue this quest with the
health
that you have remaining. Turn to
631
.

749

The guards move to intercept you, but your angry stare is enough to force them to reconsider. They edge back warily, letting you pass straight through and into the large
pavilion tent. Inside, a number of men and women are gathered around a table of charts. The largest has a number of wooden markers placed on top of it, showing troop movements.

Ravenwing is speaking at the head of the table, with Mathis at his side. ‘The king’s army is only a day’s march away. Once they arrive we will have a force nearly two thousand
strong. At least then we will have a better chance of taking back the city.’

‘Take it back?’ protests one of the female officers. ‘But there is nothing left to take. Some ruins? The surviving civilians are already evacuated and headed for
Merino.’

‘An assault will be futile,’ interrupts Mathis, his deep voice carrying the length of the table. ‘As long as the shadow gate remains open then . . . You!’ He stops
mid-sentence, his hand going straight for his sword. ‘How did you get in here?’

You step up to the table, ignoring the astonished gasps and glares. ‘Where is Avian Dale?’ you demand, making no attempt at formality.

‘Shadow spawn!’ hisses Mathis. He starts towards you, but Ravenwing places a hand on his arm, restraining him.

‘Avian isn’t here, as you can see,’ states Ravenwing guardedly. ‘This is a private meeting – if there was anything else?’

‘Anything else?’ You glower. ‘As a matter of fact, there is. I have a message for him. Avian himself sent me on a mission, as well you know. I completed that mission –
and I have an important message for him from Jenlar Cornelius.’

There are agitated mutterings from around the table.

‘Jenlar, who is now dead I understand,’ snaps Mathis darkly.

‘And you think that I . . .?’

‘Avian has gone,’ interjects Captain Redguard, stepping around the table to stand by your side. ‘He left before the battle against Zul.’

‘Gone! Gone where?’ You look around furiously at the assembled soldiers, your eyes coming to rest on Ravenwing.

‘I tried to stop him,’ states the grey-bearded warrior with a heavy sigh. ‘But he insisted. The mages were able to drop the shield, for just a moment – enough for him to
slip inside and . . .’

‘He has gone into the city?’ you balk in surprise. ‘Jenlar said that he would try and close the gate . . . but it will fail! I should have got here sooner!’

‘To stop him, I suspect,’ growls Mathis, his voice raised. ‘It would not be in your best interests would it – for Avian to prevent more of your precious legion coming
through the gate?’

You draw your weapons, fury washing through you. The mark along your arm flares into purple life, flickering and pulsing with dark energies. ‘I told you I am not . . .’

From outside the tent you hear a commotion – voices raised and the sound of a horn blowing three times in quick succession. Then a guard races into the tent, his whole body trembling with
fear. ‘It’s the legion! The . . . the shield is down . . . they’ve broken through!’ Turn to
755
.

750

When you open your eyes, you look around as if seeing the world for the first time. Your entire body is crackling with energy, and you feel it growing inside you –
becoming something you can no longer contain.

You spring from the palanquin, gliding effortlessly over Mathis, Redguard and the others, who are watching you in both amazement and horror. They seem so small to you now, so insignificant . .
.

But a small part of you remembers – remembers what it is you came here to do. When you land, you see shadow energy radiating out in a circle from your point of impact. It slams through the
lines of skeletons and ghouls, turning them to grey ash. You are dimly aware of Ravenwing’s soldiers, fleeing from you as you advance towards the remaining masses of Zul’s army.

‘Get out of my way,’ you scream, with a voice that no longer sounds your own.

You raise your hands and from their palms black fire spirals out into the ranks of undead, blasting them, crushing them, lifting them up into the air and driving them into the ground. This is
power . . . this is true power.

Then you stagger and fall. The magic is too much to contain, it is spilling out from your body now, rippling in tentacle-like waves as it is released back into the air.

‘GET AWAY!’ you scream.

You see regiments of men throwing down their standards and weapons, and running full pelt for safety – the undead now forgotten.

Then you open up your arms and release the magic – all of it. You feel a rushing wave of power flowing out across the battlefield. Then there is silence. You fall backwards, your head
hitting the hard-packed earth. The last thing you remember is a single bolt of white light arrowing across the sky. A victory flare perhaps . . . Turn to
732
.

751

You absorb the defeated warrior’s shadow essence, feeling the wash of energy healing your wounds and knitting together your damaged armour. You may restore your
health
and
armour
to their starting values. You may also help yourself to one of the following rewards:

When you have made your decision, turn to
760
to continue the battle.

752

The necromancers have fled the chamber, however the mortician has remained behind, watching the battle from the sidelines. With a maddened screech he rushes towards you –
a bloody scalpel held in one hand and a syringe in the other.

‘My beauty! You killed my beauty!’ he hollers insanely. ‘You’ll pay for what you did – you’ll pay in body parts! It’s operation time!’

Special abilities

or
: The doctor accidentally stabs himself with his own syringe.
The sedative slows him down, meaning that he doesn’t roll for damage this round and his
speed
is reduced by 1 for the next combat round.

or
: The doctor stabs you with his syringe. He
rolls for damage as normal, but in the next round of combat your
speed
is reduced by 1.

or
: You are cut by the doctor’s deadly
scalpel. He can roll 2 dice for damage instead of only one.